***Official Digital Video Essentials Discussion Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[KyleC]

I need some help. I'm trying to calibrate my audio system. I have all channels set to 0db. The SPL meter is set at 70, C weight, and slow response. I cannot (no matter how loud I turn my system) get the meter to read 85db's. Am I doing something wrong? Am I not setting things up right? I'm using the 5.1 audio level test.

 

[Chris Will]

I cannot (no matter how loud I turn my system) get the meter to read 85db's.

With DVE you are suppose to calibrate to 75dB not 85.

 

[KyleC]

Hmm someone told me 85. I have to set my system to darn near max volume to get 77db, is that right?

So basically I find the 75db volume with the left speaker then adjust all other speakers to match 75dbs?

 

[Brian L]

VE and DVE are supposedly referenced to 75 dB, Avia is 85 dB.

I find that with my NAD 762 and B&W Series 1 600 speaker set, I need to run the channel trims to just about max to get 75 dB with the master volume at 0 dB using DVE as the source. Coupled with the FUBAR .1 channel level (discussed in detail previously in this thread) and I flat out will not use DVE for audio purposes; I stick with Avia or Chesky Ultimate DVD

I do find that the basic video patterns work well although the patterns and title screens are all framed assuming you have close to zero over scan...which is perhaps 5% of the customer case. But again, its piss-poor navigation is mind boggling given how many years thus was said to be in development.

BGL

 

[David Ruiz]

Chris is right. You're only supposed to calibrate 75dB with Digital Video Essentials. However, if you have Avia, then you should use 85dB.

You should set your sub a little louder than 75dB with DVE only, because of it's wrong reading on the SPL meter.

 

[Todd K]

Two questions (well really one and a half):

1) Is there a 1.78:1 overscan pattern on the disc? Chapter 12-17 is the 1.33:1 pattern, but I can't find the same display for 1.78:1. I suppose you could put the widescreen tv in 4:3 mode and see how off the top and bottom are, and then stretch it to the edge of the screen to see how the sides are. Is this what you're supposed to do, or is this a dumb question?

.5) I'm using this to calibrate 3 different TVs, all with interlaced DVD players outputting component video. However, I'm outputting to three different TVs: a standard def 4:3, a high-def 4:3, and a high def 16:9. Can this disc be used for all three accurately make adjustments with the user menu stuff (brightnesss, color, sharpness)?

 

[Rich Malloy]

Sorta wish I'd come across this thread before buying this disc... but since I've got it, might as well try to make some use of it.

There's a question that's been asked several times on this thread without response: with regard to the test patterns that have no instructions whatsoever provided (essentially everything beyond the basic brightness and color/tint pluge, contrast boxes, sharpness setting) where does one go to determine what one should be looking for when using them?

I'm frankly very disappointed with this disc, though I suspect there's a great deal I could get out of many of these test patterns... if only I knew what they were for and what adjustments I should be making with them. Is this simply considered common knowledge? And, if so, where does one look to get up-to-speed on these things?

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I was a long time VE user and I have only briefly worked with DVE in order to review it for the forum... but maybe this weekend I'll take a trip through it and see if I can't answer both your questions.

Rich- I don't know the patters you mean specifically (if you want to post specific title/ch feel free)-- but I remember the original VE had tons of patterns with no real instructions that once you got "into" video were pretty self explanatory or useful if you have measuring equipment.

 

[Todd K]

After further tinkering with the disc, I've noticed that the screen they give you to adjust sharpness appears to be an overscan pattern for 1.78:1. Well, at least the circle appears round in the center.

 

[Tim_Stack]

Am I crazy or is something wrong? I have to turn my volume up to close to 50 (I usually set it in the 20s) on my Onkyo 501 in order for the SPL to read 75dBs. That's waaaay too loud.

Now, once this calibration is done, I just leave the channel levels alone and turn down the volume?

 

[lakshmant]

finally the answer has come

read on
i got this mail today from JKP



Thank you for your inquiry regarding "Digital Video Essentials." No there has not been an error found on the DVE disc regarding audio levels. Dolby Laboratories did the encoding and has now checked the program twice, it meets their specifications. There is an explanation regarding
the level confusion here:

http://videoessentials.com/DVEQ&A.php#audio

There is also more information available in the test pattern
description manuals here:

http://videoessentials.com/Manuals.php

Regards,

David Abrams
Joe Kane Productions
Project Coordinator